CSPAN--during a conversation about nuclear disarmament, a caller asked the guest how the founding father would react to toady's bitter partisan politics. He specifically mentioned Washington and Jefferson. A great choice. The guest didn't answer that specific question, referring instead to Reagan's attitude, which is indistinguishable from Obama's. But the answer is clear and delightful.

Usually it is a matter of speculation how any of the founders would have reacted to today's wildly different state of affairs. Almost always, those referring to the founding fathers make two errors:

1. They assume the founding fathers were all in agreement. In fact, they were a contentious bunch who actually agreed on little. The constitution is a patchwork of compromise and not a uniformly agreeable document to any of the founders.

2. TheY assume that the founders were gifted with infallibility, like the Pope when he speaks ex cathedra. Better than the pope, in fact, they were always right, even when speaking in private letters.

Whenever I refer to the founders, it pays to recall that i speak with an inherent recognition of the two fallacies above.

Back to Washington and Jefferson. The question referred to the virulent state of partisan politics today. This is a state of affairs on which both men took a clear and simple positions in their own day, so we can actually answer the question with confidence.

Washington--the Father of our Country hated politics and was contemptuous of political parties. He thought they constituted a danger to democracy. Obviously he would sharply condemn the current state of affairs.

Jefferson, while giving hypocritical lip service to the dangers of party politics, disgraced himself with scurrilous personal attacks of his opponents, including his once dear friend Adams. While Adams, after the two men had retired from politics, accepted Jefferson’s overtures for reconciliation, Mrs. Adams never forgave her husband’s once friend, then foe then friend again. Jefferson would look at the lies and deceits regularly spread by the Fox Propaganda Channel and be amazed at how gentle and impersonal they are.

Note: The most popular of the mainstream media is the Fox Propaganda Channel. The problem with said is that they make up their own facts and simply ignore news they don't like. That’s why they are not a news channel and do not practice journalism. They practice party propaganda